Indigenes of Ogidigben, one of the major communities that made up Ugborodo in Warri South-West Local Government area of Delta State, have cried out over an alleged protection extended to an unrepentant oil thieves kingpin by security agencies in their community.
Consequently, they have called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to call the various security agencies operating in Ugborodo and its environs to order, if truly the government was sincere to succeed in the ongoing war against crude oil theft.
A community youth leader, Comrade Gabriel Odidaibo in an interview with newsmen yesterday, disclosed that the people are no longer comfortable with the role currently being played by security agencies who now shielded criminals for pecuniary gains in their communities.
He noted that indigenes of the various communities under the Federated Ugborodo, comprising; Ode-Ugborodo, Ogidigben, Ajudaibo, Madangho, Ijaghala, now lives in fear of oppression on a daily basis as security agents harasses, intimidates and man handles anyone opposed to the criminal activities of the kingpin in the area.
According to him; “We, the indigenes of Ugborodo in Warri South West Council area of Delta state, wishes to draw the attention of public to certain development that tends to jeopardize the federal government efforts on the ongoing war against crude oil theft in the country, especially in the Niger Delta region”
“The event of the last few weeks in our community had shown that security operatives in our area are the ones aiding and abetting crude oil theft by openly protecting individuals who the people are aware have been involved in illegal bunkering activities for over two decades”.
“Based on intels, the illegal refining camp of this same person was recently destroyed in one of our communities by Tantita Security outfit, a Pipeline Surveillance team contracted by the federal government to curb crude oil theft along waterways, but we later realized that armed security personnel have started protecting their sponsor from being arrested”.
Continuing; “We were taken aback that security agents who were supposed to be providing security for our Indigenes are the ones protecting the same individual by providing him escorts and even conveying him in their operational vehicles around the town, even till this morning when they were sighted at the jetty in our community”.
“We are compelled to cry out as we are no longer comfortable with this development based on our suspicions that they could be setting up another illegal bunkering camp in another location as it is now evident that the person in question has not repented or ready to quit the illegal oil trade”.
“Consequent upon this, we called on Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and other appropriate Security authorities to come to our aide by calling the various security agencies around us to order so that our land can be free from the illegal bunkering activities”, he concluded.
